So you have an event coming up, and you’re thinking you might need to hire a stretch tent. There’s no need to be daunted – for the most part it’s a fairly straight forward process! There are a few things you should know first, to make the process a bit easier and ensure you get good value for money.

TENT CONDITION AND QUALITY

It’s important to note that not all stretch tents are created equal. Some are waterproof, some are not. Some are clean and gorgeous, some are old and stained. So before booking your tent be sure to ask for photo’s. Ask if the tent is 100% waterproof, and how old the tent is. Ask if it has any stains, or any visible patches.

 

TENT SIZE vs COST

The next thing you should know is that stretch tents come in different sizes, and are charged per square meter (sqm). For instance, a bigger tent will cost more, and a smaller tent will cost less.  Expect to pay in the region of R30/square meter (sqm), excl. vat. The way to work out size is as follows:

Seated Dinner setting – 2-2.5sqm/person

Cocktail/Standing setting – 1.5sqm/person

Cinema Style seating – 1sqm/person

So to put this information into a practical picture, if you’re having 70 guests for a sit down dinner you’ll need a tent that’s around 150 square meters – so a 10m x 15m tent should do the trick. This would cost you approx R4500 ex VAT. If you are having 30 guests for a cocktail party then a 6m x 9m  tent should work – 54 sqm, costing in the region of R1620 ex VAT.

Keep in mind that if the weather is bad, or very windy, you might need to close the tent up a bit – ie drop one or two sides down to the ground. This will take away a bit of space in the tent, so the tent will need to be a little bit bigger.

A good tent company will offer free site meetings, where they come out to your house or venue, and meet with you to discuss the different options for your event.

LIGHTING & ACCESSORIES

Finally, it would be good to consider is adding some lighting for inside the tent, to make the tent come alive at night. The addition of lights makes the atmosphere in your stretch tent truly magnificent, and will most certainly add the ‘WOW’ factor to your event. Generally the lighting offered is fairy lights (approx R8-10/m) and ‘parcans’ – or up lights (R80 each)

Stretch Inc uses only the highest quality stretch tents, 100% waterproof, wind resistant, and fire-retardant. We offer free site meetings, just call our office on 0218204783 to book yours. We also offer lighting, flooring, heaters, and furniture to accompany our tents.